SpaceX Verified

Aerospace, Space Exploration, Telecommunications, Manufacturing

Principal Hardware Engineer, Gateways & Customer Hardware (Starlink)

Bastrop, TXOnsiteFull TimePrincipalPosted 2 months ago

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Required skills

electrical engineering
computer engineering
hardware design
electronics
satellites
gateways
customer hardware
user terminals
Wi-Fi routers
mixed-signal

Nice to have

rapid design
full life cycle development
cross-functional
system trades
requirements capture
component selection

Role summary

SpaceX's Starlink is seeking a Principal Hardware Engineer to own the development of millions of customer-facing products and advanced gateways. This role involves the complete electrical system design, implementation, and verification for devices like Starlink dishes and Wi-Fi routers, as well as next-generation gateways. The engineer will collaborate closely with cross-functional teams including silicon, software, mechanical, and manufacturing to guide hardware from concept to full-scale production, ensuring high reliability and performance in harsh environments. Responsibilities include driving system trades, component selection, schematic capture, PCB layout, prototyping, bring-up, debugging, and supporting hardware through production and integration.

SpaceX was founded under the belief that a future where humanity is out exploring the stars is fundamentally more exciting than one where we are not. Today SpaceX is actively developing the technologies to make this possible, with the ultimate goal of enabling human life on Mars.

PRINCIPAL HARDWARE ENGINEER, GATEWAYS & CUSTOMER HARDWARE (STARLINK)

Starlink believes in providing fast, reliable internet to serve populations with little or no connectivity. We design, build, launch, and operate the world's largest constellation of satellites, enabling us to operate a global internet network unbounded by traditional ground infrastructure limitations. Starlink also designs, builds, and delivers high-volume consumer hardware that allows users to connect to these satellites within minutes of unboxing, as well as our advanced gateways that we deploy regionally throughout the world. The root of SpaceX’s success so far lies in our mission to keep all engineering and production in-house, which enables a tight feedback loop, nimble decision-making, and speedy deliverables. With millions of daily users worldwide already online, Starlink is truly a game-changer and levels the playing field for those who were previously unconnected.

As a Principal Hardware Engineer on the Starlink team, you will have complete ownership over the development of millions of customer-facing products and devices that we ship directly to end users (Starlink dishes/user terminals, Wi-Fi routers, etc.). Our customers currently include teachers in the most remote parts of the Amazon, researchers in Antarctica, digital nomads who travel via RV, emergency responders, commercial airlines, cruise lines, and residential users who live in more rural or developing areas. You will be responsible for the design, implementation, and verification of the entire electrical system for these products. You could also be responsible for the design and performance of next-generation gateways - ultimately ensuring that our ground station antenna hardware can withstand the harshest environmental conditions while maintaining reliable communication with millions of users on a global scale. You will interact regularly with partner teams including silicon, software, mechanical, and manufacturing engineering to steer this hardware from initial concept development to full-scale production.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

Design, develop, and test highly reliable electronics for communicating with our satellites

Partner with software, mechanical, thermal, manufacturing, and production test teams

Drive system trades, requirements capture, component selection, analysis, schematic capture, PCB layout, prototyping, hardware bring-up, debugging, documentation, manufacturing, and test of complex electrical designs

Get hands-on and support hardware through production, satellite integration, and flight

Work closely with engineers from adjacent disciplines (mechanical, thermal, software, test engineering, supply chain, silicon design, etc.) to deliver tightly integrated, high-performance hardware

Drive continual improvements to our designs by building physical and digital tools to analyze data collected on orbit and in the lab

Challenge assumptions and work to find simple solutions to complex problems

BASIC QUALIFICATIONS:

Bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering or computer engineering

8+ years of professional experience designing circuits, electronic products, or hardware

PREFERRED SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE:

Master’s degree in electrical engineering, computer engineering, or similar engineering degree

10+ years of professional experience rapidly designing and delivering highly reliable products

10+ years of electronic product experience designing hardware from concept through production; strong emphasis on full life cycle development of new hardware products and not small incremental updates to legacy hardware

10+ years of experience designing and implementing mixed-signal circuit boards from concept through production using processors, FPGAs, Ethernet, multi-GHz Serdes, DRAM interfaces (DDR4), I2C, SPI, operational amplifiers, analog to digital and digital to analog converters, and power supply components

10+ years of professional experience testing, troubleshooting, and debugging electronics

Strong understanding of computers and programming languages (Python, C/C++)

Demonstrated ability to work in a highly cross-functional role

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS:

Ability to work extended hours or weekends as needed for mission critical deadlines

ITAR REQUIREMENTS:

To conform to U.S. Government export regulations, applicant must be a (i) U.S. citizen or national, (ii) U.S. lawful, permanent resident (aka green card holder), (iii) Refugee under 8 U.S.C. § 1157, or (iv) Asylee under 8 U.S.C. § 1158, or be eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State. Learn more about the ITAR here.

SpaceX is an Equal Opportunity Employer; employment with SpaceX is governed on the basis of merit, competence and qualifications and will not be influenced in any manner by race, color, religion, gender, national origin/ethnicity, veteran status, disability status, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, mental or physical disability or any other legally protected status.

Applicants wishing to view a copy of SpaceX’s Affirmative Action Plan for veterans and individuals with disabilities, or applicants requiring reasonable accommodation to the application/interview process should reach out to EEOCompliance@spacex.com.

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